Unending Faith-beta III

Introduction
For every Kell Hounds or Wolf’s Dragoons, there are a hundred similar outfits that are just as Credits
talented—and just as deadly—that you have never heard of. Or worse, you have not heard enough.
Sure, the glory hounds who make the evening tri-vid news are movers and shakers, and can change
Development
national borders whenever they want, but they’re not the only ones. For every Eridani Light Horse

e
Joshua C. Perian • Ray Arrastia
brigade, there is a mercenary crew with a storied battlefield history just as spectacular. These are the
unit commands that have gone largely unnoticed in the long, bloody history of the Inner Sphere, Writing
their stories untold or nearly forgotten. Take a closer look at the battles and events that have shaped Joshua C. Perian
the human sphere, and you’ll find even two-bit troops like Wilson’s Hussars have made a difference.
—Professor Harry Alexander, Spotlight On: The Almost Famous, Free Republic Press Editing

fil
Philip A. Lee
How to Use This Book BattleTech Line Developer
Welcome to Spotlight On, a campaign supplement designed to offer players the opportunity Brent Evans
to learn about the universe’s unique and battle-tested forces from the Inner Sphere, Periphery,
and beyond. Assistant Line Developer,
The background information contained in the Unit History and Description section gives players Graphic Design & Layout
the unit’s history, notable events, tactics, traditions, organization, unique goals, and traits to Ray Arrastia
create an unlimited number of BattleTech games for play, while the Personalities section details
AS/SBF/ACS Data
some of the unit’s more famous, interesting, or notorious members. Each character entry includes
Joshua Franklin • Chris Marti

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additional gameplay and scenario-building material, as well as special abilities that set these
warriors apart from the rank and file. The Personnel Roster offers a complete vehicle listing for
the outfit at particular points in BattleTech history. The Personnel Roster can be used to create
stand-alone games, to weave into an existing game, or as part of a larger ongoing campaign.
The Mission Tracks section presents key battles that occurred in the unit’s history, though they
Factchecking/Playtesting
Stephan Frabartolo •
Andreas Rudolph • Chris Wheeler
Special Thanks: The author would
pl
are not the only ones. Players wishing to incorporate these tracks into their Chaos Campaign like to thank the blessed Jerome Blake.
campaigns should use the Warchest Points (WP) listed in brackets. Each track contains gameplay Without his inspiration, leadership
and plan, our true believers would
information, such as terrain suggestions, weather, and special conditions rules. Each track also not exist. The author would also like
contains a list of optional features that can be used to enhance your game experience. For the to thank the sainted Conrad Toyama,
best results, all players should agree whether to use these bonus features before play. whose loyalty gave him the strength
Rules may reference the following books: Total Warfare (TW), Tactical Operations (TO), to commit to the greatest lie ever told.
Alpha Strike Companion (ASC), Campaign Operations (CO), and A Time of War (AToW).
Lastly, Special Command Abilities (Campaign Operations p. 83 or Alpha Strike Companion p. 44)
m

and Formation Abilities (CO p. 60 or Alpha Strike Companion p. 147) for the unit is listed, along with
corresponding Alpha Strike cards and unique record sheets (if applicable). Special Command Abilities,
Special Pilot Abilities, and Formations can be used both in Total Warfare and Alpha Strike play.
Sa

STAR LEAGUE ERA SUCCESSION WARS ERA CLAN INVASION ERA CIVIL WAR ERA JIHAD ERA DARK AGE ERA
Under License From E-CAT35SN107
® ©2018 The Topps Company Inc. All rights Reserved. Spotlight On: Unending Faith,
Classic BattleTech, BattleTech, BattleMech and ’Mech are registered trademarks and/or trademarks
of The Topps Company, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Catalyst Game Labs and the
Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Production, LLC.

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 Unending Faith-beta III

Unit History their actions during the Jihad had earned the Com Guard the right
to serve what was quickly becoming the new ComStar, and they

and Description were not alone. Many of ComStar’s rank and file were sympathetic
to the Com Guard. Unfortunately for the Com Guard, there was no
going back to their pre-Jihad existence.
When Task Forces SICKLE and Almost immediately after disbanding

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MALLET freed Terra from the Word the Com Guard, the disillusioned
of Blake and terminated their Jihad, yet still-loyal members and former
it also signaled the beginning of the members of ComStar began the
end for the Com Guard. Operation arduous task of preserving the Com
SCOUR ended by giving birth to Guard for what they believed was an

fil
Devlin Stone’s Republic of the uncertain future. These Com Guard
Sphere. With the creation of the new loyalists hated being bound to Stone
interstellar nation and ComStar’s and feared what might happen if one
ejection from the Free Rasalhague day his Republic turned on ComStar. In
Republic, ComStar was left with a secret, they cached old Com Guard and
battered army bereft of a home. Word of Blake Militia materiel and other
While many within the new Republic abandoned military equipment. Other
respected the Com Guard for their supplies were salvaged from Republic
contributions during the war, many MMRP reclamation teams and saved
more continued to hold ComStar— from the smelter through the age-old
and by extension, the Com Guard—
responsible for the Jihad. Necessity,
however, creates strange bedfellows,
and the pressures of nation building
coupled with the devastation of the
e ComStar tactic of record manipulation.
Over the course of several years the
Guard loyalists accumulated thousands
of tons of war materiel from all over the
Republic of the Sphere and beyond. At
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Word’s Jihad compelled the Republic the same time, small groups of retired
and ComStar to make a deal that Guardsmen created informal Com
ensured both would endure. Guard clubs and veteran associations.
A core stipulation of this These loosely affiliated veteran groups
agreement dictated that ComStar were the genesis of the future Unending
must dissolve its military, the Com Faith III-beta and First Division. However,
Guard. Future security for ComStar the effort to keep the Com Guard alive
would be provided by private
m
in spirit was uncoordinated, and by
security or the state militaries the turn of the century it was headed
hosting the reformed organization. toward nothing as ComStar and
Never again would ComStar deploy former Com Guard veterans moved on
an army capable of making war. with their new lives while the painful
Stone applied pressure to force memories of the Jihad faded.
ComStar’s acceptance by pointing At roughly the same time, a small
to the still-smoldering fires of the yet growing social movement within
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Jihad as a stark reminder that the
Word of Blake militarized from Com
Guard defectors during the Schism.
For Devlin Stone, the disbandment of
the Com Guard was a nonnegotiable
point and was accompanied by the
barest hint of a threat: permanently
disband the Com Guard or else.
The veteran soldiers of the surviving Com Guard received the
news of their dissolution with mixed feelings. All were proud of
their achievements against the Word during the war, and many
went on to serve with the growing RAF, but others were angered by
the forced disposal of the Com Guard. Many Guardsmen believed
ComStar took root. Eventually known
as the Blessed Order, the movement
was characterized by the desire to
reintroduce ComStar to its pre–Focht
Reformation roots. The Blessed Order
believed ComStar had lost something
precious when it abandoned its Blakist
doctrines and wanted a “return to the pure faith” for all of ComStar.
The new Blakist faith provided a natural fit that very quickly aligned
the loose goals of both the Blessed Order and the Com Guard loyalists
into a mutual pursuit. With the Blessed Order, the Com Guard cause
found real leadership and a religious devotion that swiftly invigorated
and merged loyalist preservation efforts into a unified cause.

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 Unending Faith-beta III
The early 3100s saw the Blessed Order convert the Com Guard
veteran associations into training houses where the children
and grandchildren of former Guardsmen and other prospective
recruits could hone their skills. Monies were directed from
company pensions and charitable funds to provide training
equipment and software for “educational” and “historical
preservation” purposes, which served as fronts for sophisticated
holo-training materials pilfered from Republic universities or
purchased on the black market. By 3112 the Blessed Order began
funneling future Com Guard soldiers through private security
contractors so they could gain greater experience. In later years
the Blessed Order would use siphoned funds, shell companies,
and other corporate fronts to influence security-contractor
staffing decisions and purchase military hardware from the
legitimate mercenary market.
Eventually leadership of the Blessed Order fell to Malcolm Buhl.
Buhl was a true believer who knew that a re-formed Com Guard
was key to fulfilling the Order’s future destiny, and his first directive
reflected this belief: the full re-formation of First Division, and with
it Unending Faith III. The division’s first Level III was named in honor
of the faithful who survived the Republic’s purge and kept the spirit
of the Com Guard alive.
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Woefully understrength, the newly re-formed Level III,
composed of HPG technicians, transport pilots, bankers, and
technicians of every variety, could not operate in the open. For
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two years Buhl used his rank to reassign most of the Level III to
Odessa, where he was station chief, and then again to Caph when
he was reassigned, and finally to the search effort that located
Alpha Base on Epsilon Eridani.
As the Blessed Order refurbished Alpha Base, Unending Faith
III acted as security, a job they performed admirably. While
masquerading as private security for the mining company fronts
the Order used to work on the Alpha facility, the Level III, quietly
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terminated attempted penetrations around the Shamus base
location on three different occasions over a three-year period. Led
by the Faith’s first commander, Demi-Precentor Lachie Grozda, a
fourth attempt in 3129 turned into a bloody fight when a group of
would-be raiders managed to secretly infiltrate Epsilon Eridani and
get within 300km of the base.
Oblivious to the presence of Alpha Base, the Pebble Court
Jesters, a mercenary unit hired by a local mining corporation with
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the express purpose of disrupting the region’s growing economy,
marched into a well-laid trap. Using stealth technologies and
superior knowledge of the terrain to conceal his troops as the Jesters
moved deeper into the mountain range, Grozda placed the Level
III in front of the raiders’ advance and at potential escape routes.
When the mercenaries came within range, the Faith opened fire
with coordinated C3i. In minutes, most of the merc commanders
were knocked out by the concentrated fire. To their credit, the
mercenaries quickly regrouped and fought back.
Several Guardsmen, including the Faith’s senior adept, fell to
the enemy. Despite numerical and tactical superiority, the more-
experienced Jesters were motivated by being virtually trapped.
3
Slowly, the mercenaries began to push through the Com Guard.
Using their own concentrated fire, the Jesters were on the verge
of breaking free until Grozda positioned his Excalibur between
the remaining mercs and their freedom. Facing nearly a company
of ’Mechs alone, Grozda began firing wildly, but the combined
firepower of almost an entire company was overwhelming. Seeing
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their commander’s selfless action, the remaining Guardsmen
went into a frenzy, throwing themselves from their positions into
a bloody close-quarters melee. Dust, falling rocks, and explosions
reduced visibility to mere meters as both sides fought for survival.
Fifteen minutes later, the dust settled, and the Faith took stock. No
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mercenary was spared, but the Faith’s heavy losses included their
valiant commander. After clearing the area, the shattered Level III
limped back to base.
Buhl made the best of the situation. First Division was already
growing at an exponential rate thanks to the materiel recovered
from Alpha Base, but the veterans of Unending Faith were the
most experienced soldiers in the Guard. Buhl decided that
diffusing Unending Faith’s knowledge would best serve the
division. He partially dissolved what remained of the Level III
and dispersed the survivors to a number of Blessed Order–
controlled private or mercenary companies to train the influx
of new recruits. Seeing action as far away as the Fronc Reaches,
Faith’s soldiers drove the division’s expansion, and grew the
division from two understrength Level IIIs to six reinforced Level
IIIs by 3136.
Unit Description
The adepts and acolytes of Unending Faith III-beta are remarkable
defenders. Whenever Unending Faith III-beta is the Defender in any
battle, the player may create Improved Positions (see pp. 198–199,
TO) and position themselves as Dug-In (see p. 108, TO) in half the
time and without the need for experienced engineers. The unit may
also hide up to half (round up) of their units in terrain forbidden by
the Hidden Units rules (see p. 259, TW) even when the scenario does
not normally allow Hidden Units.
Unlike the original Com Guard, the soldiers of the reconstituted
First Division, including Unending Faith III, spent a great deal
of time masquerading as corporate security or noncombatant
corporate personnel. Individually, acolytes and adepts will benefit
from a wide range of unique combat and noncombat skill sets.
All members of the Level III have the Alternate ID trait (see p. 108,
AToW), In for Life trait (see p. 120, AToW) and a –5 TP Dark Secret
trait (see p. 112, AToW), but each is allowed one Special Pilot
Ability (see p. 219, AToW). The Blessed Order also made a point
of offering cross-training when possible to make the most of its
members. More than half of the Level III is technically proficient
at repairing complex equipment and software in field conditions.
When repairing their equipment, Unending Faith III receives an
extra –1 Skill Modifier to all repair, partial repair, salvage rolls,
and Time (in minutes) to repair equipment is halved (see. pp.
166-193, SO).
 Unending Faith-beta III

First Division and Unending Faith III-beta has a unique rank
structure that combines elements drawn from both the original
Com Guard and the Word of Blake Militia. First Division uses Com
Guard field ranks, but its members place considerable weight
behind the years of service a member has devoted to their given
rank or position. Thus, someone of sufficient experience will often
Unending Faith III use a Word of Blake-derived Choir formation
that combines a Level II of BattleMechs and battle armor into a
single attack formation. The formation was originally developed
by the Blakists on Galatea during the Jihad, and Unending Faith
III co-opted the arrangement to create a dedicated headhunter
unit. Unending Faith III is the only First Division unit to use the

be treated with the respect of a rank higher than they hold. In
practice this means that an adept XVII will be treated with similar
respect as a veteran demi-precentor. Because of the division’s covert
nature, until 3137 all members of Unending Faith III were assigned
a military position and an administrative rank. After First Division
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Choir. Because Com Guard formations mix unit types, Level
IIs include battlesuit infantry and combat vehicles along
with BattleMechs.
The command’s artillery, transport, and aerospace assets are
assigned when needed by division command. A notable break in

publicly revealed itself on Wyatt, the administrative cover ranks
were dropped. As the rank structure and traditions of First Division
formed, the unofficial title of senior adept was adopted to designate
Level II commanders.
Unending Faith III’s insignia shows a stylized monk garbed in
traditional ComStar robes kneeling in prayer before a stained-
glass window. The insignia is placed on the upper right torso of
’Mechs and battlesuits, on the right wing and left tail of fighters,
and on the front right side of vehicles. Unending Faith III-beta
paint their units in the traditional all-white color scheme of the
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Com Guard tradition is the consolidation of the division’s aerospace
fighters to their own division-level command. For most of its
history, Unending Faith III used common civilian-model DropShips,
such as Mules and converted Union-class ships, for covert transport
duty. During the battle for Wyatt and after, the Level III operated a
number of Duat-class DropShips.

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original Com Guard. When on duty, the soldiers of First Division
wear the typical field dress determined by their branch and need.
The traditional military garb of the original Com Guard, with
its simple robes was retained by First Division with only minor
alteration. The colors of the robes indicate the service branch:
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dark blue with white trim for MechWarriors, black with white
trim for aerospace pilots and naval crews, light blue with white
trim for vehicle crews, dark gray with white for infantry. Off-
duty members often wore plain utilitarian jumpsuits with First
Division’s insignia or plain white robes.
Prior to the fighting on Luyten 68-28 in 3140, Unending Faith III
had little experience fighting as a full Level III. Individual Level
IIs suffer no penalty, but when the entire Level III is fighting
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together, a –1 Initiative penalty applies. After the events of

Luyten 68-28, the Level III has had sufficient experience
operating as a team, so the penalty is removed.
Before 3130 the Level III operated less than six Level
IIs, and rarely together. For practical reasons, individual
Level II cohesion was deemed more important than the
total number. However, each Level II was reinforced
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to some degree, giving the unit greater strength than

presented on paper. As First Division and the Blessed
Order expanded their facilities and operations, new Level
IIs were added, but the practice of reinforcing the Level
II remained. After revealing the re-formed Com Guard
on Wyatt, Buhl’s consolidation of the Order ballooned
First Division to its full size, bringing Unending Faith
III and First Division to full strength for the first
time. This was a major surprise to the
attacking RAF, who believed the division
to be much smaller than it actually was.

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 Unending Faith-beta III

Personalities to join the Blessed Order in 3127 after working security at the
Bone-Norman HPG station. A natural talent despite her physical
disabilities, Finlay is often seen with a rescue inhaler in-hand. Slow to
JACOB KENYON act—thanks in part to her slow breathing—Finlay’s sharp analytical
Title/Rank: Demi-Precentor, Executive Officer of First Division mind made her the perfect candidate to command First Division’s
Born: 3095 (45 in 3140) administrative needs.

Jacob Kenyon hails from a family whose members have worked in
one of two professions: dairy farming or ComStar. Originally from the
former Iowa district in the North American Administrative Region on
Terra, Kenyon is the nineteenth member of his family to enter the
ranks of ComStar. Weaned on stories of his grandfather’s and great-
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Special Rules: Senior Adept Finlay has a –3 TP Handicap (Lungs)
(see p. 118–119, AToW), but a +3 TP for Patient (see p. 121, AToW)
due to lung injuries sustained as a child on Benet III.

fil
grandfather’s service in the Com Guard, Kenyon was a natural
recruit for the Blessed Order. Fresh from trade school,
Kenyon took contract offers with Chayim Protective
Services, a private security front, to gain military
experience and see the Inner Sphere. He bounced
from assignment to assignment for a number of years
where he acquired a reputation for quick action. His
use of a Peacemaker SecurityMech to destroy a small
retention dam during the Appian-Curtis Raid in 3129
saved the lives of twenty homesteader families. Upon

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returning from the Periphery, Kenyon’s dedication,
leadership qualities, and practical experience earned
him a senior adept position under Demi-Precentor Juan
Fredarico, whom he succeeded in 3135. By 3136 Kenyon
was effectively running First Division, with administrative
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control of Unending Faith III falling to his second, Senior Adept
Ina Finlay.
Special Abilities: Jacob Kenyon is a veteran MechWarrior. He
possesses the Multi-Tasker, Oblique Attacker, and Tactical Genius
special pilot abilities (see pp. 220, 221, and 225, AToW, respectively).
If Kenyon is on the battlefield with Unending Faith III, the command
automatically wins Initiative for Turn 1. Kenyon has the uncanny
ability to coordinate and command the Level III’s artillery even in
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the presence of heavy ECM. He has a +5 TP Natural Aptitude for

Artillery (see pp. 121 and 144, AToW), and when spotting for
artillery, treat his Gunnery Skill as 0 (see pp. 180–181, TO).

INA FINLAY
Title/Rank: Senior Adept
Born: 3095 (45 in 3140)
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Ina Finlay is a veteran MechWarrior born on Benet III just

prior to the planet’s death and abandonment. The poisonous
death clouds of her homeworld scarred Finlay’s infant lungs
before she and her family were evacuated. She was destined to
die a painful death, but a ComStar-affiliated charity provided
Finlay with lifesaving medical attention. Finlay was recruited

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 Unending Faith-beta III
LACHIE GROZDA
Title/Rank: Demi-Precentor, Commander of Unending Faith III-beta
Born: 3077 (52 in 3129)
Lachie Grozda was born to veterans of ComStar’s Seventy-ninth
Division who were among the handful of former Com Guardsmen
disenfranchised with the precentor martial’s decision to dissolve the
Com Guard. His parents helped form what would eventually become
the Blessed Order and instilled in Lachie a strong sense of duty to
ComStar. A founding officer in the re-formed First Division, the
fanatical Lachie was one of Buhl’s strongest supporters. Much of the
Level III’s tactics and organization was formed and implemented by
Lachie during the unit’s formative years. The controversial decision
to use the Word’s despised Choir formation was one of Grozda’s
lasting decisions. Despite resistance from the Order’s inner circle,
the Choir provided a lasting place for itself in the Level III during the
3129 raid on Epsilon Eridani.
PATRICIA HARWELL
Title/Rank: Adept
Born: 3109 (31 in 3140)
Born into a family with seven generations of ComStar service,
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Patricia unsurprisingly became a member of the Blessed Order and
First Division. While Patricia’s brother, Tucker, became a genius in
the field of theoretical hyperspatial studies, Patricia took a more
covert and martial direction in her studies. Fanatical in her belief
in The Word of Blake, Patricia naturally drifted toward individuals
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with similar beliefs. Recruited by the Order right out of college,
Patricia was secretly trained by First Division for a number of years
before reassignment to Buhl’s protective duty. In Patricia, Buhl saw
a capable true believer and a direct connection to one of the most
brilliant minds in ComStar: her brother. As the HPG Blackout swept
the Inner Sphere, Patricia helped engineer the kidnapping of Tucker
from Wyatt and was instrumental in the Order’s first attempts to
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inspire his cooperation.
TAMA GROVER
Title/Rank: Adept
Born: 3102 (38 in 3140)
Former mercenary Tama Grover is a veteran MechWarrior whose
grandfather was the notorious Daniel Grover of Broadstreet Bullies
fame. Orphaned at an early age on Acamar, Tama was drummed out
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of the planetary militia in 3124 and hopped on a transport bound for
the Filtvelt Coalition. There she joined the Rapier Frontier Security
Corporation, a Blessed Order–affiliated private security contractor.
A cold-hearted professional, Tama showed a predisposition for the
surgical application of bloodshed to de-escalate conflict. During
a water dispute on Mararn, Tama prevented a major shootout
between her trade employer and local merchants by making an
example of one irate merchant’s entire caravan. As a result, the
remainder of the trade went smoothly. While working at Rapier,
Tama was recruited into the Com Guard where she quickly found
the faith missing in her life.
Special Rules: Adept Grover possesses the Fist Fire and Melee
Specialist special pilot abilities (see pp. 220 and 224, AToW). She
excels at fighting infantry and conventional vehicles. She may
target infantry directly when they are inside buildings or vehicles.
She ignores To-hit modifiers for infantry dispersal (e.g., the +1 for a
battlesuit squad) and doubles autocannon and pulse laser damage
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against unarmored infantry in open terrain.
PETR BOYD
Title/Rank: Acolyte
Born: 3114 (26 in 3140)
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Petr Boyd is a regular MechWarrior and one of the youngest
members of the Level III. The son of a Confederation Reserve
Cavalry MechWarrior and a Republic merchant, Petr could not fit
in either of his parents’ native realms. Despite being a naturally
skilled MechWarrior, the Confederation refused academy admission.
Instead, his father instructed him whenever time allowed. When
Petr’s father was killed on Corodiz, he abandoned the Confederation
for the Republic. There, his estranged but true-believer mother
hooked Petr up with a ComStar trade mission headed for the Taurian
Concordat. The trade mission was a front used by the Blessed Order
for supply acquisition, and Petr was soon recruited into the Order
and assigned to the Level III.
AMIT ISSEL
Title/Rank: Adept
Born: 3111 (29 in 3140)
Another new addition to the Level III, Issel is one of the many
next-generation soldiers raised with Order tenets since birth. A
fifth-generation member of ComStar, Issel is the first member of
his family to join the Com Guard. He is immensely proud of First
Division and his fellow Guardsmen, and his infectious enthusiasm
for the words of Blake have made him a fiery preacher of sorts. Off
duty, the young soldier holds impromptu sermons at the foot of
his Eisenfaust, “Righteous Word.” Clothed in either his cooling suit
or simple robes and clutching the Word of Blake, Issel will speak to
the faithful for hours. In recent days his sermons have focused on
the impending doom Jerome Blake foresaw, which only the Blessed
Order will weather. Many older members of the Level III respect his
conviction but worry his faith has taken a darker turn since the fall
of the HPG network.
Special Rules: When Adept Issel is a part of a unit, that unit
receives a +2 modifier to any Morale rolls (see pp. 295–297, SO).
Despite his young age and lack of experience, Adept Issel’s intense
faith inspires leadership in his Level II. He as +3 Leadership Skill (see
p. 148–149, AToW), which affects his Level II.